To Romanus, Defensor of Sicily, on Clerics and Their Bishops

Gregory to Romanus, defensor of Sicily. [a]

It has come to our knowledge that when anyone has a lawsuit against any clerics, you have those clerics brought before you for judgment, setting their bishops aside. If this is so, since it is plainly most improper, we order you by this our authority not to presume to do it any more. If anyone has a lawsuit against a cleric, let him go to the cleric’s bishop, so that the bishop may either hear the case himself or at least appoint judges for it. Or, if it is a case for arbitration, let the executive officer appointed by the bishop compel the parties to choose a judge. But if any cleric or lay person has a lawsuit against a bishop, then you ought to step in, so that either you yourself hear the matter between them, or at your urging they choose judges for themselves. For if each bishop does not have his own jurisdiction kept for him, what else happens but that the order of the church is thrown into confusion by us, the very ones who ought to guard it?

Further, it has been reported to us that our most reverend brother Bishop John sent certain clerics to do penance for a fault that called for it, and that you, on your own authority and without his knowledge, released them from it. Now, if this is true, know that you have done something altogether unseemly, which calls for no light rebuke. So return these clerics to their bishop without delay. And take care not to commit this fault in future. For if you are careless about it, know that you will incur our anger in no slight degree. [b]